Sunday, September 23, 2012

So how about it, Prince Harry of the Pomegrantes? You gonna show us yours now? Oh, I see, you don't have to. You're a SENATOR, for God's sake. How dare we ask the people we elect to live by thr same standards they impose on others. All men are equal, you know. Some are more equal than others.
That your story, Prince Harry? Your Highness?

This new information contradicts a malicious claim about Romney's taxes made by Harry Reid during an interview with the Huffington Post. In the interview, Reid claimed someone with close connections to Bain Capital had told him "Harry, he didn't pay any taxes for 10 years." Reid doubled down on the claim a few days later, saying his source was "extremely credible." Reid also repeated the claim on the Senate floor, saying, "The word is out that he hasn't paid any taxes for ten years. Let him prove that he has paid taxes because he hasn't." Nancy Pelosi jumped on the Reid bandwagon a week after the story got started,saying, "Harry Reid made a statement that is true. Somebody told him. It is a fact."

Reid's audacious claims were eagerly repeated by left-leaning outlets. Talking Points Memo reported it with a "grain of salt." But outlets like the Washington Post and ABC news also joined in (ABC labeled it an "unsubstantiated rumor"). About a week later the Post's fact-checker finally gave the claim four Pinocchios, but by that point it had made the rounds.

Reid's initial claim about Romney's non-payment of taxes capped a stretch in July when the Obama administration put Romney's tax returns front and center. The campaign released an ad mid-month which was run in four swing states. The ad suggested that, perhaps, Romney hadn't paid any taxes at all during preceding years. Two weeks later, Reid claimed a credible source had confirmed Democrats' darkest fears in a way that ensured the story would continue for another week.

But it wasn't true. What we now know is true is that Sen. Reid's source was lying, Reid himself was a willing dupe who spread the malicious claim without any proof, and the credulous left-wing press was all too eager to give the stunt more attention than it merited. Reid should receive a mark on his credibility for repeatedly touting this false claim. It would be nice to see a few reporters confront him about it directly.

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